


those who eat lambs from the flock

by Ford_Ye_Fiji



Series: and love will be your teacher [9]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Gen, It’s more bonding!!!, a few OCs - Freeform, because things... are gonna get.... rough, because y’all are gonna need it, but they are here only to interact with Zuko, of emphasizing how beautiful the boy is XD, to serve a single purpose
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-27
Updated: 2019-10-27
Packaged: 2021-01-04 15:36:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21200015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ford_Ye_Fiji/pseuds/Ford_Ye_Fiji
Summary: Zuko grows into himself. Azula, is following his example, slowly but surely.Things take a turn, once again.





	those who eat lambs from the flock

La'nh folded his arms, huffing with annoyance, "I don’t understand why we got babysitting duty." 

Xuan hummed, "Hold your tongue."

La'nh rolled his eyes, "And I can’t believe I got saddled with you. You don’t have to pretend guarding the prince is some high honor. Nobody likes watching him." 

Xuan shook his head knowingly, "Only fools say that out loud. Especially with the subject in such close quarters." 

La'nh returned to facing the prince, practicing his firebending forms in the courtyard. He rolled his eyes, glowering at Zuko. The prince hadn’t done anything wrong, per say. The young soldier was more frustrated at the fact that he couldn't be out on the front lines winning glory for his family and victory for the fire nation. Instead he was stuck guarding some thirteen year old boy. It was the most mind-numbing task he’d ever had, not that that was saying much. 

Xuan seemed to sense La'nh's inner anger and he sighed, the more rational of the two, "There  was an attempted assassination. Maybe whoever is trying to murder him will send more, and then you can get your fill of killing."

La'nh brightened, "Maybe, if I prevent an assassination, the Fire Lord will promote me!" 

Xuan snorted, "You are far too eager to shed blood."

La'nh scoffed, "What, and you’re not?" 

Xuan sighed, a hand stroking his brown beard as he did when he was thinking, "If all goes according to your plan, you will feel the same soon enough." 

La'nh opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by Prince Zuko's shout, "Hey, you!" They both turned from their debate. La'nh pointed at himself as if to say, ' _Me?_ ' 

Zuko nodded imperiously and trotted over. 

La'nh gulped nervously. Xuan remained as calm and placid as ever. 

Zuko folded his arms, "Are any of you firebenders?"

Xuan bowed, "We both are, your highness." La'nh coughed, "The Fire Lord figured you’d need the best protection possible. Sending in _non-benders_ wouldn’t be the _wisest_ move."

Zuko's eyes narrowed, something changing in his tone at La'nh's arrogance, "Alright. I want to duel." 

La'nh spluttered, "Duel? With a little ki-“ Xuan hurriedly spoke over him, "Of course, your highness." 

Zuko sniffed, "Enough with your highness it gets old." He turned and then pointed at La'nh, "You, without the beard. What’s your name?" 

"La'nh, ah, Prince Zuko." 

Zuko grinned, a smile too vicious for a thirteen year old, "We're going to spar. _Without_ firebending." 

The prince moved back into the courtyard. La'nh's mouth opened and closed. He took a step, turned and looked pleadingly at Xuan. The older man actually smiled and then gave him a little push forward. La'nh's eyes narrowed. It felt like Xuan knew something he didn’t. Just becuase he was a new transfer didn't mean he had to throw him to the wolfbats like this. 

La'nh huffed, deciding he couldn’t trust Xuan for help, and strode after the prince. 

Zuko now held two twin Dao swords, honestly, where had he even gotten them? La'nh asked tentatively, "Are you sure you want to practice with real blades, your highness?"

Zuko huffed, "It’s Prince Zuko. And yes." The cocky little jerk actually smirked at him, "Unless you're scared?"

La'nh eyes narrowed. Oh, he wanted to be like  _that_, did he? He drew his own sword, and they began circling each other, looking for an opening. 

He didn't even see the prince lunge. 

La'nh fell backwards, just barely parrying the sword thrust. 

The little jerk was  _quick_\- he more than made up for his lack of reach with speed. The prince evaded him, whirling, blades flashing. La'nh parried again and ducked, just missing the slash of a sword by a hair. He snarled, turned and attacked. He was deflected easily, and, as he was still reeling from his miss, the prince swept his feet right out from under him. 

He hit the floor with a clatter of armor and an unflattering yelp. 

Zuko sighed and stood over him, his astonishingly deadly swords in his hands. The prince snickered and then, transferring one of his swords to the other hand- the two halves fighting together neatly, he held out a hand for La'nh to take. 

La'nh eyed it warily, but took it. 

The soldier took comfort in the fact that the prince seemed to be having trouble helping him up. Proficient with swords he may be, but he was still just a child. 

A  _deadly_ child. 

Xuan was laughing at him, he could feel it. 

Prince Zuko gave him a little half bow, "Thank you for the spar." He added, "Don't underestimate non-benders. They can be just as lethal as fire." 

La'nh bowed in return, mouth dry, "Thank you for the lesson, Prince Zuko." 

And, surprisingly enough, despite the humiliation, he meant it. 

* * *

"Why do you like them so much?" 

Zuko shrugged, gently petting the squawking turtleducks. Azula sat down beside him and reach forward but the duck huddled in Zuko's lap shrank backwards. She scoffed and folded her arms in a sulk. 

Zuko raised an eyebrow, "You can’t just take it. You've got to earn it’s trust, Azula." 

She huffed, eyeing the creature warily, "It’s just an animal. I don’t  _have_ to earn it’s trust. I can do what I want." 

Zuko glowered at her, already filled with teenage annoyance. Azula chewed on her lower lip and relented, words a little too sharp, "Well, what would _you_ suggest?"

Zuko picked up a piece of the bread he’d been slowly portioning out to the animals, "You’ve gotta promise not to hurt them."

Azula rolled her eyes but nodded. He handed her the bread, "The key is patience. Break it into tiny pieces." 

Azula snickered, "You sound like Uncle Iroh." 

Zuko laughed, "I do! I just need a proverb!" His eyes narrowed, lips pursed, "Like... like the wise lionturtle on the hunt, all good things come to those who wait."

Azula cackled. 

Zuko straightened, emboldened by her laughter, "Would you like some jasmine tea? We should play some pai sho as well." Azula added, doing her best impression, "Oh the lotus tile? Many underestimate my strategy, but it’s truly a- a-“

Zuko finished, "A winning move!" 

They collapsed into laughter, the turtleduck in Zuko's small fingers quacking with annoyance. Azula wiped a stray tear from her eye and watched her older brother giggle with delight. 

He  was hers. Just like mother. 

She could destroy him, she knew that. Everyone knew that. It was much harder, much more challenging, to do the opposite. To do something that even her father couldn’t do. 

She liked a challenge. 

As his laughter petered away, Azula asked, "What do I do to get the turtleducks to stop being such cowards?" 

Zuko snickered, "Well, tear the bread into tiny pieces, there you go, and place one a little away from you, yes like that- and make a trail to your lap." The turtleducklings were already eyeing the food with interest. Zuko nodded, "But whatever you do, you can’t grab them. You’ve got to let them come to you." 

She nodded. 

The ducks were hesitant in their approach and, as the minutes passed, Zuko could see her lips twisting in frustration. She wasn’t going to set them on fire again, was she? 

A turtleduck poked its head near her knee, her fingers twitched in surprise and the cautious bird immediately fled. She snapped, "Ugh! These birds are stupid!" 

"You can’t force them! Just hold really still!" 

Her nostrils flared, but she stilled, unmoving as a statue. 

A small turtleduckling, probably the size of her fist, waddled over and bravely snatched the bread closest her knee. Azula's lips twitched upwards. 

When nothing came to hurt it and Azula didn’t move a muscle, the turtleduckling quacked, followed the trail of breadcrumbs, and then curled up contentedly in her lap. 

Azula sucked in her breath. Zuko looked delighted, whispering, "Now, see, just feed it a bit of bread and then very carefully pet it!" 

Azula did so, the turtleduck's bill nibbling her fingertips in its haste to get the bread. Slowly she stroked its soft head. The turtleduck quacked and leaned into the touch.

Azula gasped, "Look Zuzu, it  _likes_ me!" 

Zuko grinned, "Yeah- it does!" 

* * *

Iroh was having tea with Zuko when the messenger knocked hurriedly on the door. Iroh coughed and then rose, warming his tea in his hands, "Come in!" 

A messenger entered, and bowed low, holding out a scroll. Zuko recognized the seal. It was for the Fire Lord's eyes only. Iroh broke the ornate seal with his fingernail, flecks of red wax falling to the carpet. He unfurled the scroll, parchment rasping. Zuko watched over the lip of his cup, waiting. 

Iroh's brows drew down, his breath drew in, and his skin paled. 

Zuko waited with bated breath. 

Iroh rolled the scroll back up with a snap, "Prince Zuko." 

He stood immediately, unable to keep his questions lodged in his throat any longer, "What? What happened? Is something wrong, father?" 

Iroh's grip was actually crumpling the paper, "I’m afraid that you were correct about the colonies." 

"What?" 

"The city of Yu Dao. They refused to evacuate. The earth kingdom... they sent troops... They've killed them all."

**Author's Note:**

> As always, my tumblr is here: https://ford-ye-fiji.tumblr.com/


End file.
